This issue of JACKET is a co-production with New American Writing magazine
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Barbara Tomash

Nude in the Bath

after the painting by Pierre Bonnard

— a figure should be part of the background against which it is placed
— P. B.

narrow shoulders seen through trees
I want to talk about things at the periphery
bells sounding in water glasses
how we enter moments in pieces
not to shatter, but like syllables
spoken in a broken down tongue
to connect us in time. toujours, toujours

two legs, a hand, scumbled locus
of sex. the dog circles and lies down
dauberville, 1925, in her bath she’s halved
breathless flash, her touch, his brush
executing a mournful aria of illusion
beauty we come to shun; body a device
which sets off for consideration, like red
carpet roses, our infatuation with this world

saturday, 2:00 in the afternoon
yellow light on a stucco wall
clatter of dishes, whistling
the emptiness he liked to place at the center
one foot, not two, enters the room
and it’s his head we don’t see beyond the frame

two legs, two legs — hanging her by them
or floating useless as little mermaid’s divided tail
draft the geometry of our passing —
moment, rich empire, crumbles
laid waste by the miniscular movements
of our eyes. these concepts we insist on: when
skin is lavender water is green. through
the blue door finger leaves rub together

This issue of Jacket is a
co-production with New American Writing magazine
published in the northern spring of each year by Maxine Chernoff and Paul Hoover
369 Molino Avenue, Mill Valley CA 94941, USA
All back issues of New American Writing including No. 4 (New Australian Poetry) can be downloaded in their entirety and at half price from InfoPost at http://www.infopost.com/